Secure Radios for Uncrewed Systems

A security module, pre-certified by the National Security Agency, for protecting communications on uncrewed platforms can accelerate the fielding of new systems and open opportunities for the commercial sector.

A photo of a service member preparing a small autonomous robot.

For the U.S. military, the use of uncrewed systems is growing to minimize harm to human operators. Because these systems often transmit sensitive data over the air, their radio components must be certified by the National Security Agency (NSA). For years, the cost and complexity of gaining NSA certification has been an insurmountable hurdle for many businesses and would-be innovators in radio technology and robotics from which the military could benefit. Now, developers can use an already-NSA certified security solution developed by Lincoln Laboratory that’s ready to drop in and deploy for a wide variety of vehicles and missions.

A photo of the cyber/security module hardware

The Security/Cyber Module (SCM) End Cryptographic Unit (ECU) is a compact device that secures tactical datalinks of uncrewed systems. The module modernizes security by pulling together multiple cybersecurity technologies, most notably a technique called Tactical Key Management that establishes secret keys on the fly for secure communication. The module is the first crypto device designed for a broad swath of uncrewed systems within the Joint Communication Architecture for Unmanned Systems (JCAUS), a U.S. Department of Defense effort to modularize uncrewed system radio links and allow reuse of NSA-certified components by standardizing capabilities and interfaces.

The U.S. Navy awarded a full-rate production contract to industry to supply SCM ECUs for immediate use in Navy explosive ordnance disposal robots. Beyond its use in Navy ground robotics, the SCM ECU is well suited to airborne and underwater vehicles alike because of its adherence to JCAUS. We continue to advance this open-architecture radio concept by addressing future quantum-computing threats and incorporating advanced transmission-security capabilities.

A compact end cryptographic unit for tactical unmanned systems

Lincoln Laboratory technologies win five R&D World awards